Flame's Stubbornness
by BlazeTheDemidragon
Summary: Ever wondered why Flame is the way she is? Here's a bit of a backstory for ya, on Flame's biggest trait.


"Move along, you beast!" Flame felt the sharp spear dig into her pelt, prodding an almost healed wound, opening again.

She bit back a snarl, digging her talons into the dirt, as she resisted the urge to light the soldier on fire. If it weren't for the fact that she was already in trouble with the officials, and they had her youngest sister; Bolt, she would've flicked her tail at him, dislodging one of the new tail spikes she possessed on the barren tail, which was badly scarred, like the rest of her body.

It had been awhile since she'd spoken to a praetor, on the ways of changing the conditions of the demidragons that lived in New Rome. No one took demidragons seriously, they were regarded as mindless beasts who were only good for manual slave labor. Flame was no exception to this rule. It was just the fact that she showed more intelligence than the others, who obediently followed the rules. It wasn't that she was just smarter...she had a warrior's spirit, full of determination and considered stubborn.

Flame continued to walk, unafraid of where she was going. Perhaps the new praetors would listen to her, even if she was mostly there for a trial on whether or not she should be allowed to live. As the entered the forum, she noticed the looks of the soldiers, all trained and Roman. They regarded her with uneasy looks. Most demidragons would look at the ground, skinny from lack of food and scared to look at anything. Flame was not like the others. She held her head high, met every stare with a challenge. The scars on her pelt, didn't make her unattractive. In fact, they seemed to make her more beautiful.

Her fierce leaf green eyes, the darker shade of green, were stunning. And the fact that she was a little bigger than the other female demidragons said something. Mostly, it was because of her muscle mass that she was considered the biggest.

Chains hung on her neck, more going on her wings to prevent escape. It wasn't that she couldn't break the bonds, it was just that she chose not to. She knew the cost of her own freedom.

They entered the _principia_ , and at once Flame knew for certain the praetors had changed. It was the scent that had changed. One smelled like a calm battle, something that is not easily described. The other scent was that of a thunderstorm. Similar to Bolts scent, but much more powerful.

The doors were opened, and Flame was shoved in by the pole holders. In the office, sat two teenagers. One were a purple t-shirt, jeans, sneakers and a purple cape, which was the guy. The other was a girl, dressed in full battle armor, and looking powerful next to him.

Both looked like good praetors. Not like the last ones. The boy regarded her carefully, his blue eyes noting every scar, every wound, everything about her. His eyes meet hers, and they don't flinch away. This make Flame like him a bit. He meets her eyes, his eyes not hardening, not accepting nor declining her challenge. Meeting her as an equal, seeing her as not a monster, but a comrade.

It was strange for Flame to be treated in such a way. She studied him the same way, more warily than him. He broke out in a smile, drawing Flame's attention to the scar on his lip.

The girl studied her more cautiously, but overall seemed to accept that Flame had been approved by the boy.

"Creature, do you know why you were brought here?" she asked. Her tone was cold, but regal.

Flame shifted in her chains, causing her guards to tighten their grips. "My name is not 'creature'," Flame said in the same cold tone, her voice a bit raspy and rough from lack of use. She wasn't the best at speaking English, but it was something she'd picked up along the way. "My name is Flame, and I'd appreciate it if you could call me by my name."

The boy laughed. It was not a cruel laugh, but one that was highly amused by her temper. "We're sorry to have offended you, Flame." he said in a nice voice, a kind smile on his face. "My name's Jason and that's Reyna. We're a bit new to all of this."

Flame's eyebrows rose, a bit puzzled. "Very well then...I will make this simple for you. I was taken here because of my disobedience, and my fighting. You have my youngest sister; Bolt, hostage and I want her back now. We are here to decide whether I should live, or if I should be killed."

Both praetors looked at each other, confused. Reyna leaned forward. "How did you learn all of this, Flame? We were taught your kind were rather...pardon me saying this, but stupid compared to us."

Flame laughed, though it was as cold as her attitude towards the praetors. "There is much your people seemed to have forgotten about us, Reyna. Our kind were the loyal warriors who defended home, and helped you along on your rise. And what do we get in return? Treated like monsters, beaten like slaves and insulted daily. We are like useless dogs to you, despite all we've done."

Jason bit his lip. "Is this how everyone feels? All of your kind feels this way?"

Flame scoffed. "None are brave enough to voice such thoughts...except me. I will not be crushed by your cruel ways, I've read the records. We were once regarded as friends, and now we are slaves. No one will snuff out my stubbornness, I don't care if it gets me killed."

Both praetors looked at each other. They seemed to be in a deep conversation. Finally, Reyna said "Release Flame. We wish to walk with her without guards, and travel to the demidragon yard."

Flame was surprised when they did as they were ordered. She flexed her wings, and watched out of the corner of her eye as they slowly backed away. Reyna and Jason led Flame outside, and allowed Flame to lead them to their camp.

…

Flame was not at all worried about them. No matter how powerful these two demigod were, they were nothing compared to her. So she led them to the camp, located just around the Berkeley Hills, scattered campfires and tattered animal skins pretty much everywhere. And dug out holes, that served as dens for each family.

Flame watched the praetors carefully, noting every reaction to everything in the camp. A group of young hatchlings hunted for insects in the grass, all of them scrawny and malnourished. Jason and Reyna stared at them, and when the hatchlings finally noticed, they ran to the nearest hole.

A rabbit darted by, plumper than the normal one around the camp. Flame took off on a chase, pouncing on it and neatly snapping the spine, biting down hard at the base of its neck to kill it. She approached the praetors who were waiting with her tail raised high, pleased by her success. The continued without a word, but Flame detect a change of feelings towards her.

She led them to her den, where her other sister; Wave, layed, taking advantage of a break time to gain some rest. Flame dropped the rabbit, and nudged her gently, causing Wave to open her eyes, revealing light sea green eyes. The two conversed in Dragonese for a few minutes, before finally turning to the baffled looks of the praetors.

Flame nudged the rabbit towards Wave, who began to eat.

"So what do you wish to know of our kind?" Flame asked, sitting.

Both praetors took this as a sign they could sit, as they were hunched over to fit in the large den.

"What is your kind like?" Jason asked. "Are they loyal? Do you live in packs? Are you intelligent? How powerful are you exactly?"

Flame chuckled, amused by his curiosity.

"Look outside, if you wish to learn. Our camp will soon be swarming with workers."

Jason scooted outside, Reyna following. Flame followed as well, sitting back down once she was outside. Demidragons poured in from wherever they'd been that day. Kits ran from underneath the elders, enthusiastically rubbing noses with a mother or father, a brother or a sister. There were others who sat alone, unwanted. Now that everyone was home, the fires seemed to glow brighter.

A amber colored demidragoness with gray-speckled scales approached a group of youngsters, carrying two thin squirrels, another demidragon behind her with a Chinese takeout box full of what turned out to be mice.

They all began to share food. One small kit even approached Reyna and crawled into her lap, purring. After a few minutes, Reyna began to pet him, making the kit smile and continue purring.

A dark green with brown spots approached Flame. "We need you to light fire, Flame." He told her, offering a smile.

Flame gave him a half smile and approached a large pile of wood that the others had collected. Flame took a deep breath and let out a massive spurt of flames, igniting the wood, creating a massive bonfire. Cheers went up, and some sort of music began to play. Flame went back to where the praetors sat.

"What do you see?" She asked, laying down.

Jason and Reyna surveyed the camp, now alive with new life. They did not have much, between food and a reason to be happy, but they seemed so alive and just glad they were alive and all together.

A small group of young hatchlings playfully tackled Wave, who had just come outside. She laughed, and joined in with their playing, though it was clear she was being gentle with them. Jason began to smile.

"You're like us," he said slowly. "You have your friends, and family. Your enemies and feuds. You have children you care for, people willing to share, elders willing to tell stories of the old and give you their knowledge."

Flame nodded. "We are not so different than you. We may have more weapons and are more tempermental, but Rome was built by the hard work of Romans _and_ their demidragon friends."

"It's so much more happy here though," Reyna said, her voice shocked. "No one here has much of a reason to be happy and enjoy life. And yet you celebrate...why?"

Flame pointed with her tail blade to the sky, making all three look up at the bright full moon. "The elders tell me we once had Gatherings, and that this celebrating mood comes with it. One night every month, we gather around a bonfire and tell stories of the old, sing and dance, remember why we live together and celebrate it."

Jason looked back at Flame. "You said the others live in fear and submission of us?"

Flame nodded, flicking a grasshopper at a hatchling, who promptly jumped and caught it in his mouth, chewing slowly. "They look to me as a leader, even though they may not like me very much. I'm stubborn, I speak out of turn. I am very dominant, and not willing to let some idiot tell me what to do in the fields. I am no slave, mark my words on that."

Reyna looked at Jason. They turned to Flame. "We thank you for showing us your camp, Flame. We'll work hard to make life easier for you, okay?"

Flame looked up, her eyes still sharp despite the look of surprise. "You would do such a thing for our kind?"

Jason nodded, his icy blue eyes beginning to grow distant. "Of course. You're are our friends, and we should've never forced you to become slaves."

He walked out the way he'd come, the demidragons making room for him. Reyna turned to follow, but before she left, she looked behind at Flame, who now sat on her butt.

"Your stubbornness to give in and continue to fight might just be your greatest gift as well as your worst enemy, Flame. I'll see to it, that you get your sister back as soon as possible. You've taught me something about being a strong leader...I owe you, Flame."

Flame watched her leave, feeling something ignite inside herself, reawakening an old fire that had been simmering for awhile. She felt more powerful, and realized she was literally glowing with fake flames, that burned various shades of orange, some like her scales.

With a bright flash, all of her wounds healed, revealing her beautiful looks, now even more powerful than before with her scars. They were still there, but all of her wounds were healed, her tail spikes back to normal and she seemed to radiate power.

The elder with amber scales, who was graying due to old age approached her cautiously. The glowing stopped, making Flame just stand there. The elder studied her, and sniffed, her eyes widening.

She turned to the rest of the camp, her eyes showing respect that wasn't there before. "We re-welcome Flame, daughter of our goddess of the flames she was named for, Fire. We welcome her as the daughter of Fire and Hades, and give her the last name 'Firehades'. May she eventually pass on this blood, and make her family tree large. May she be a wonderful warrior, and teach us all lessons we have yet to learn. And since she is the most powerful of us here, it is in her birthright that she become leader of our camp, our pack."

Little did Flame know that her stubbornness would lead her to be a wonderful leader, and an inspirer to most demidragons who fought in the Dark Wars. It would lead her to finding the rest of her family, and taking her place as the triplet of the Firehades clan. It would lead her to many great things...and even let her find her own other half…

 **A/N**

 _ **I found the need to write about Flame a bit, and where her most defined trait comes from. It's the fire inside that makes her the most stubborn. Flame is an interesting character to write about, because while most people see her as an agitating female dog who is basically a more attractive and un-filtered version of Blaze, she does indeed have a reason to the way she is. And her strongest trait is her stubbornness. She's fun to write about, mostly because she's willing to fight when no one else wants to. She's hardcore Roman, yet accepting of the Greeks and other people. Flame has a reason like every other character of why she is like she is. Moral of the story? Just because everyone else is afraid to stand up, doesn't mean you should be too. If you don't take charge, and are stubborn enough to keep fighting, nothing is going to change. It won't get better, it'll probably get worse. So fight for what you think is right, and don't stop until something changes for the better. Unless it's something illegal...**_


End file.
